


loyalty

by Purplehaze811



Category: Death Stranding (Video Games)
Genre: Fix-It, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-03
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:00:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21654910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Purplehaze811/pseuds/Purplehaze811
Summary: this is what could have been if things had gone a little different when Cliff  tried to escape with his son with the help of John
Relationships: Die-Hardman/Clifford Unger, clifford - Relationship
Comments: 5
Kudos: 32





	1. fork in the road

**Author's Note:**

> so Die-hardman was completely in love with Cliff right?? other people must thnk this too haha  
> i just want everyone to be happy including little baby sam.  
> come say hi to me on tumblr at: @day-dream-haze

“you should take BB and get out of here” when John had said those words Cliff had felt something for the first time in months. Sitting day after day next to his brain dead wife and the trapped tiny body of his son who he could only interact with through cold glass had made feeling anything hard. he had felt something suddenly and it almost hurt like his heart didn’t know what to do with a genuine feeling, something light and hopeful. He felt grateful. Grateful to the man who after so many years still had his six. 

Cradling BB’s pod closer to his chest whilst the voices grew louder and louder outside the door made the world seem much bleaker then it had an hour ago when John had looked at him like he held all the answers to the world. The blood of the wife he had loved so dearly for so much of his life dripped from the bed behind him echoing throughout the room. His chest still heaved from all the running throughout the facility and with every breath pain spiked along his ribs where a patch of red was slowly spending across his shirt. 

Glancing down at the pod in his arms he couldn’t help the tears that dripped down his face. He had failed to keep his promise the last promise he had made to her. That was unforgivable. The banging on the door came to a sudden halt. Cliff couldn’t help but hold his breath in the heavy silence, not daring to make a single noise.

A familiar voice rang through the door “he’s not inside! check down the hall” oh it was John still trying his best for him, loyal until the end. Footsteps sounded down the hallway but cliff still watched the doorway suspicious of the quiet. A hand pressed up against the glass panel of the door and an uncertain voice followed it “captain? Sir? Please open the door for me” a laugh escaped cliffs mouth before he could stop it. Open the door was he insane? “listen to me please I’m begging you sir” the wobble in Johns voice was clear and cliff was reminded of long gone battlefields. 

Gritting his teeth cliff heaved himself from the floor shaky feet carrying him to the door. He didn’t have much choice not when john's voice sounded like that. He hesitated at the door panel though and glanced down at BB who seemed uncaring about the whole adventure he had been on. “captain?” BB moved his head towards the voice and made a soft cooing noise. Cliff huffed in unexpected amusement “you think we should open it huh” he whispered down to his son. The door clicked open and he was greeted with the sight of John standing by himself in the bright hallway. 

The solider rushed to his side pulling at the arm not cradling BB until he let him guide it over his shoulder. He started a quick pace turning down hallway after hallway practically dragging all of cliffs body weight with him. Cliff kept a steady grip on BB but let John worry about the rest. He let his head roll down onto Johns shoulder eyes growing so heavy. 

Cold air hitting his face startled him into opening his eyes and cliff blinked in surprise to find himself being manhandled into a car. Panic overtook him as soon as he realised that his hands were empty. He must have made some kind of distressed noise because John turned his face towards him worried frown held in place. “breathe captain. BB is okay look he’s right here” trying to focus on the seat John had indicated cliff found he could just about make out the orange of BB’s pod through his blurring vision. 

His whole body sagged in relief and he couldn't find it in himself to worry about anything else. BB was okay and John was here. Nothing would happen to them if he was with them. Black started to creep back into his vision. A hand brushed back the hair from his face gentle as a feather “rest sir I’ve got you”


	2. That oh moment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> reaching safety john and cliff finally have a moment to just be

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so thanks for all the encouragement to carry on with this fic. i love this game and its characters and love the relationships that were shown in it. hope you enjoy and as always come say hi at @day-dream-haze on tumblr

Blinking back into consciousness was a shock to the system. Being asleep had been so quiet and peaceful, just floating in the blankness of nothing that having light and sound filter in made cliff wince. He slowly brought a hand up to rub at his aching eyes letting out a small puff of air as the movement just highlighted how badly everything hurt. His side throbbed in time with the banging headache directly behind his eyes. All in all his body wasn’t happy with him. Suddenly like being dowsed in freezing water everything came back to him. Cliff ripped the soft blanket that was carefully laid across his body out of the way and tried to sit up only to cringe at the searing pain in his side. Doubling over he panted out slow breaths counting in his head to keep a slow steady pace. His fingers clenched into the bed sheets to ground himself as the creak of the bedroom door sounded.

His whole body was tense ready to throw himself into action injured or not. A steady hand lightly touched the back of his neck causing him to flinch before immediately relaxing into the hold. Just as fast as panic had over taken him it slipped away almost making him dizzy with relief. He glanced up through his lashes to meet the concerned gaze of John who was bundled up in a large woollen jumper, sleeves rolled up at the elbows. cliff couldn’t help but think it made him look unfairly attractive. He quickly broke eye contact and stared determinately at the wall. Where had that thought come from? 

Johns voice cut into his spiralling panic “sir you shouldn't push yourself too early. I’ve patched you up the best I could but I’m no medic” He couldn’t help but snort “ I should think John that after saving my life and the life of my son you can probably call me Cliff” during a soft pause of silence as if poor John was trying to face the concept of calling his past superior anything but sir, Cliff fondly realised the warm weight of Johns hand had never left the back of his neck. He almost felt like the soft fingertips barely touching his neck were maybe all that was holding him together. With a subtle clearing of his throat he leaned back slightly causing John to lower his arm. “where are we?” John glanced to the window in answer and cliff followed his gaze seeing tall trees swaying gently in the breeze “somewhere safe” 

After establishing that sitting up with pillows piled behind his back was really all his body was up for at the moment and eventually agreeing with John that staying in bed was all that he would be doing. John left the room swiftly returning with the small pod that carried little BB. Cliff made a note of the gentle way John cradled that pod in his arms. He was blown away by the sweet smile John was aiming down at BB who seemed to be trying to make grabby hands through the glass of his pod. BB was distracted from his task when he spotted his father and made an excited little noise almost wiggling the entire pod. Cliff couldn’t help the bright smile that covered his face at the sight and held his arms out to receive his squirming son. 

“Hello you” he breathed voice soft and shaky. He pressed his fingertips to the glass matching BB’S own little hands pressed to the opposite side. He felt John shift next to him moving to leave the room. His son must have followed his gaze because as soon as John had taken a step away from the bed BB let out a ear splitting shriek of displeasure. John froze in place and looked to Cliff for what to do before looking down at the little squashed up face of a very angry BB. Cliff felt laughter bubble out of him before he could stop it (God it had been so long since he had laughed) and waved his hand towards the bed. “I think my son would rather you stay and to be honest so would I” 

John uncertainly made his way back to the bed and gingerly sat down next to Cliff peering down at BB. The instant john's face hovered over his pod BB stopped crying and instead started making grabby hands at the glass again. shaking his head in amusement Cliff tugged on Johns ridiculously big jumper which now only had one sleeve rolled up but cliff thought it made the whole look seem more lifelike and less perfect solider. John took the tugging in stride and leaned back against the head broad of the bed shoulder to shoulder with cliff and well within BB’s eye line. “we have a lot to discuss” cliff nodded his head in agreement never taking his eyes off of his son. “will she be able to find us?” he tried to keep his voice level but he was sure some of the fear he felt had bled into it. 

He could see John fidget slightly flexing his fingers and then straightening them something he had always done as a nervous habit back when they had served together. Seeing it now sent a wave of warmth through him. He could trust this man he was sure of it. “she wont, not if I have anything to do with it” the conviction lacing Johns voice made Cliff relax even further into the head broad. He let the conversation drop off instead focusing on the small eyes blinking up at him and the warmth of Johns shoulder pressed to his own. He didn’t know how long they sat there in comfortable silence but he was finally brought back to reality when he felt a warm weight settle on his shoulder. 

Moving as little as possible he glanced down to see John form slumped sideways face squished into Cliffs shoulder and neck. He could feel the soft puffs of air hitting his neck and Johns lips grazing his neck gently. He ran a hand gently down the other mans arm and John instantly turned more into Cliffs body making a quiet sleepy noise . All he could think was “oh”


End file.
